Calling
by Mered
Summary: So many things to say, hello, goodbye and "I'm sorry". It's not enough, he's sorry and he's not sorry and nights are the worst.


Slowly Ed backed away from the phone booth.

"Brother?"

"Uhhh…"

"Brother? What happened?"

"Uhhh…"

Al's voice dropped, "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Ed protested his arms flailing wildly, "I promise, I didn't do anything!"

"Right," Al said, "So I _didn't _hear the Colonel shouting over the line?"

"The Colonel? Shouting? You know he never shouts," Ed said with a strained smile.

"Okayyy, well, I suppose I should call the Colonel and tell him we're on the way then?"

Ed blanched, "N-n-n-no. It's fine. We can just drop in. Whenever."

"Did he tell you this before we left?"

"Uh-huh, he did."

"Well, we should go and catch the next train, we wouldn't want to dally now, right brother?"

Ed gulped.

"You're a horrible liar Brother."

Ed's eyes went wide. "What do you mean? I'm not lying!"

"Your voice gets all panicky and you start waving your arms around when you get nervous," Al told him, "Like right now. What did you say to the Colonel anyways to make him shout?"

"Nothing, I promise Al!"

Ed swore Al's eye slots narrowed.

Ed smiled.

Al stared.

Ed relented.

Ed sulked on the train ride back to Central. Damn Mustang for going and getting transferred to Central. He was already dog tired from tramping all around the south only to get nothing from it. He sighed and kicked his legs out.

The train approached Central Station with a loud rumble and a screeching stop. He felt himself thrown forward for a moment before he landed back with a _thump _against the seat. Ed licked his lips and took several deep breaths to calm himself down. His eyes fluttered open as there was a tapping at the window.

He looked out and Havoc stood there, body relaxed and grinning. He gave Ed a half salute when he saw him looking and motioned for him to get off the train.

Ed reluctantly got off the train, eyeing Havoc warily.

"I've heard," Havoc greeted him, "that you're causing chaos again."

"Chaos?"

"The Colonel's word, not mine."

Havoc gave Al a smile and patted him on the arm. "C'mon, the Colonel wants to see both of you in his office immediately. He sure looked pissed. What'd you do to him boss?"

Ed gritted his teeth as he heard the grinding of Al's helmet as the younger Elric turned to look at him. "Brooooother, I thought you told me you hadn't upset him?"

"Ahahaha, I didn't think I did."

"I heard him yell," Havoc put in helpfully.

"_Shut up_," Ed hissed.

Havoc grinned and shook his head.

Mustang was tapping a pen on his desk when Ed peeked through. "See?" he told Al. "Not mad, just…busy."

"Keep telling yourself that, I'm sure it'll make you feel better," Al told him stiffly.

"Aw, c'mon Al. I didn't _lie_, I said –"

"I know what you said. And I know when you're lying too."

Ed grouched for a few minutes before sighing and knocking on the door before entering. He closed the door behind him carefully, _very carefully_ so as not to agitate the Colonel even more. He knew very well when to start behaving.

He slowly turned to face the black and menacing aura that radiated from the desk.

"Fullmetal," the voice nearly purred, "I'm _so_ glad you're in tact. That means I can rip you apart myself."

"Y-you know how sinister you sound when you say that?"

Roy Mustang smiled. "Oh, I know."

Ed grimaced. "Okay, let me start with that this wasn't _my fault – _"

Ed lay back in his bed, and watched the light play on the ceiling of his dorm room. It was enchanting for a moment, looked almost ethereal. Sometimes he wished life was more concrete, that answers were more concrete than the ethereal shadows that seemed to dance past his fingers before he could catch them.

He raised one hand and stared up through it, almost wishing he could physically take the answers from the air.

Edward rolled over onto his side and stared at the wall where he could see the shape of Al's armor shifting as he settled down to read by the low light of a lap on the floor.

"Hey Al…" Ed began.

Al looked up at Ed's soft words. "Brother? What is it?"

"It's, never mind. It's nothing important. I was just thinking…"

"Thinking…?"

"Thinking too hard," Ed said wryly. "It's always worse when I'm trying to sleep. It feels like there is so much to do, so little answers and even less time. Does it feel like that for you?"

Al didn't answer right away, instead he became very still. "I don't really remember what it's like to sleep, but yes, I think I know, very well, what you're saying. But Brother, we're getting closer aren't we?"

Ed pressed his head into the pillow. "I can only hope."

Al rattled. "I don't blame you, you know. I never could. You were only trying to do what was best for us."

Ed didn't say anything, just sat in the quiet.

"You were daring, brave, willing to try something, willing to risk everything to give back what was lost. For Mom. And for me."

"It was my fault."

"Both our faults. I agreed too."

"I put you – in that – thing - "

"You saved me."

"I wouldn't have had to save you if I hadn't hurt you in the first place."

"Brother," Al protested, "stop heaping on the guilt. It's not going to help."

"It is my burden to bear – my failure. Not yours, never yours."

Al wanted to strangle his brother for a moment. "Nights are always the worse, it'll be better in the morning. The morning erases all the darkness of the night and when it's daylight we'll be able to see more clearly."

"You're resoundingly positive."

"I have to be with you being so negative."

Ed rolled over onto his back. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me," Al told him, "Call the Colonel tomorrow and apologize."

Ed didn't reply for a while and when Al looked over he could see his brother was sleeping.

_I love you, Brother. I always will. _


End file.
